KwaZulu-Natal Premier Sihle Zikalala says the proliferation of counterfeit goods is tantamount to economic sabotage as it takes market share away from legitimate businesses and has negative implications for economic growth.
The Premier was overseeing a law enforcement operation at Bayhead road, leading to the Durban harbour, on January 13. The operation was aimed at ensuring compliance in the freight and logistics industry.
Counterfeit goods worth more than R1-billion were confiscated by police during integrated multi-disciplinary law enforcement operations in KwaZulu-Natal over the past 12 months.
During the January 13 enforcement operation, five undocumented foreign truck drivers were ordered to disembark from their trucks and arrested. The operation focused on verifying the validity of truck drivers' licences and permits; inspecting documents of foreign truck drivers; searching trucks for prohibited, restricted and counterfeit goods; enforcement of traffic regulations; and crime-fighting.
Zikalala, who was joined by Transport, Community Safety and Liaison MEC Neliswa Peggy Nkonyeni and Economic Development, Tourism and Environmental Affairs MEC Ravi Pillay said the enforcement operations would be intensified.
“This multi-disciplinary law enforcement operation is also intended to address complaints about the dominance of foreign nationals in the freight and logistics industry. Foreign nationals working in the country are required to have the requisite permits and documents that meet the requirements of South Africa, but in most cases most of the truck drivers are driving on our roads without those documents.
"Within an hour [of the operation starting this morning] five undocumented foreign truck drivers were arrested, which proves that there are a lot of truck drivers who are driving heavy goods vehicles without proper documents,” said Zikalala.
He also called on Employment and Labour Minister Thulas Nxesi to expedite the policy that will regulate the employment of foreign nationals, especially in the areas of scarce and critical skills.
“We don’t believe that South African companies that are based in the country should prioritise the employment of non-South Africans, because we don’t believe that driving trucks is a scarce skills. That is the reason behind our call to Minister Nxesi to expedite the policy that will regulate the employment of foreign nationals.
"We also call on the associations representing truck drivers not to blockade roads or burn tyres when they have grievances, but they must engage with us. We will also engage the freight and logistics industry to prioritise the employment of South Africans. We believe these operations will help us to reduce complaints, violent protests but also to regulate the freight and logistics industry,” the Premier said.
He added that government was not opposed to foreign-owned freight and logistics companies based outside the country employing foreign drivers "but when they drive trucks in South Africa, those drivers must have valid permits and the requisite documents for them to drive in the country."